The turkish is the star here. You won't find many blends that showcase the taste profile that this blend does. Latakia is subtle in the background but you know it is there. Each passing puff makes your palate want more. High quality and worth the few extra dollars!

My memory of Sobranie 759 is so hazy that I can't compare the two. But this one seems about perfect as a Balkan blend (based on whatever criteria people use for that designation). The taste was sweet, but not cavendish-sweet. The sweetness came from the latakia and the oriental. The oriental presence was immediately recognizable, and the latakia was a more minor player, but still in the game. The virginia lent its own brand of sweetness, which differed from the orientals. Nothing was out of place here and the blend was greater than the sum of its parts. Germain has done an excellent blending job here and Smokers Haven chose their blender well. Whereas Krumble Kake turned bitter on me, this one got a little sweeter and just a tad stronger as the bowl progressed. This was a sweet, smoky, leathery batch of goodness and the difference is like between a nice restaurants food and Grandma's. The restaurant does everything very well but something is missing, and that something makes all the difference. Complexity in a latakia blends? Look no further.

This is most certainly among the 5 best latakia blends I've ever smoked. Many latakia blends have incredible strengths but few have no faults that I could discern. This is one of those few. It's not that much different than a lot of latakia blends in its constituent tobaccos but the differences are significant. If you can get your hands on some, do so! My new reference blend in the Balkan category.

It has a wonderful Balkan aroma upon opening which happens to be close to its cousin, Our Best Blend. Where I feel these two blends differ is that Exotique concentrates more on the Turkish/Oriental tobaccos and less on the Latakia. It has the same richness in the aroma with a slight undertone of tea and less pungency of the latakia. As such, it smokes "sweeter" from the bowl. I always look forward to packing a pipe with this on a weekend morning. It just seems to be perfect for that time of day. No heavy tastes or the fear of being light-headed because of a nicotine overdose.

I would classify it as a fairly sweet Balkan. The Latakia does not dominate, though, and the Orientals can come through nicely. I think it's a little stronger than an English so I classify it in the Balkan category but it is not so strong that I cannot smoke it all day-which I do frequently. A fine ribbon cut, Exotique burns to a dry white ash and is not hard to keep lit. Just a wonderful tobacco. If I could only smoke one blend, this would be it.

Three and a half of five stars -------------------------------------- 2007 - Revisiting this again at the Chicago PT a year later, it?s an excellent blend. Heavy, though not overpowering on the Orientals, it?s tempered by Germain brininess and a tangy, bittersweet flavor. Smoker?s Haven only had a sample tin available, as they are currently awaiting a new batch. I will be ordering this lovely tobacco when it is available. It's consistent, and in this sleight of hand world, I enjoy consistency.

Four of five stars

The mixture is ribbon cut, the tobacco mostly dark with some lighter leaf mixed in and the tin aroma is wonderful, fragrant, smoky and Balkan. Packing and lighting are simple affairs, the mix is slightly springy. The flavor is medium to full and evolves while smoking, first the Orientals are predominate then the VAs and back again with the Latakia adding depth and fullness; not too sweet or bitter but just right. Packed in my Imp Meer this is a delightful blend. If I were to have only two or three Tobaccos to choose from this would surely be one. 9-1/2 Stars out of 10.

It seems slower than average to light, but stays lit reasonable well. The flavor is decidedely Balkan, but not a heavy version. The Orientals are the Tenor star of the show, while latakia sings the Bass parts and Virginia sings Soprano and Mezzo.

This is truly a marvelous blend, marred only by the PG. I would probably rate it at the top of my rotation, if it were available in tins (without PG). Maybe that's why I regularly smoke very few bulk blends.

After reading the previous reviews for this blend, I think that most of the reviewers did not quite understand the genre this tobacco plays in. This is not a classic English tobacco in the Balkan style, but rather is more centered around the Turkish components. Compared to another favorite of mine, Dunhill's Durbar, the Exotique Mixture is sweeter and smokier, and the Oriental component is simpler and not as complex or layered.

I find that this is an ideal tobacco to accompany a good book. Great flavor, low maintenance, and the smoke stays interesting all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Pour yourself a dark ale (or better yet, a pint of bitter) and enjoy a good smoke.

Meerschaum Man Smoking a CAO Bacchus

As has been noted, the moisture content right out of the tin is a little much, and if you're too impatient to dry it out before smoking, lighting can take several trys.

Good Turkish flavor dominates this blend, with the Virginias and Latakia vying for second place.

In the Balkan range, I prefer GLPease Odyssey or C&D's Star of the East, but they are both a bit too heavy to qualify for all-day smokes. Exotique Mixture, on the other hand, would fit the Balkan desires of early-morning or mid-day smokers very well.

The very excellent Turkish tobacco takes control in Exotique over the Latakias, which are still there, adding an element of complexity and smokieness to the blend that would otherwise be sorely missed.

A really fine cut gives this blend an almost shag look, and dyring out is a good idea as well. The guys at Smokers Haven recommended that you let this sit for about three hours spread out on a piece of white paper, and "really watch the clock on this one", or else the essential elements will start to evaporate along with the moisture. After which the tobacco smokes much clearer and more defined.

Otherwise a very peppery, spicey and smokey blend from Smokers Haven that is destined to satisfy, wheather you are looking for an Oriental or an English.